Domestic

S.Korea to Commission 3rd Aegis Destroyer

Write : 2011-03-10 14:45:56Update : 2011-03-10 16:38:16

South Korea’s Navy will commission its third Aegis destroyer on March 24th.

The “Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong,” a 76-hundred-ton destroyer, will undergo testing for one year before beginning active service. Thereafter, it will lead battle groups and conduct antiaircraft operations, marine control, and joint operations with other nations.

The new destroyer is 166-meters long and has a maximum speed of 55-point-five kilometers per hour. Its maximum cruising distance is ten-thousand kilometers. It is equipped with antiaircraft and antiship operations capabilities, five-inch naval guns, close-combat artillery, torpedoes, and is able of carrying helicopters.

Under a Navy buildup project to bolster defense against North Korea, South Korea has built two Aegis destroyers since 2004. The first ship, the “King Sejong,” was commissioned in 2008. The second, the “Yulgok Yi-I,” was commissioned in 2010.